Firman Lands Spare Jordan Drive
Ralph Firman will line up on the Formula One grid as the
second Jordan Grand Prix racing driver this year, we can
reveal.

Although the Silverstone-based outfit has yet to confirm the
news, reliable sources insist the Briton is on the verge of
signing a one-year contract to bring his undoubted talent and
several sponsors to Jordan.

Harking from Norfolk, 27-year-old Firman won last year's
Japanese Formula Nippon championship and is due to meet in
London with Eddie Jordan later today to reportedly put pen to
paper.

Speculation insisted late last week that Brazilian youngster
Felipe Massa had all but landed the drive alongside rated
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella - but those negotiations
seemingly broke down over the weekend.

The 21-year-old Massa, with a reported $5 million purse in
support from Ford of Brazil and Petrobras, was also
considerably backed by energy drink magnate Red Bull.

But as Eddie Jordan insisted he was not interested in selling
up to Red Bull boss Dieter Mateschitz - and with Sauber
confirming continued sponsorship from the Austrian firm -
sources tipped that Massa was out of the running.

Enter Firman, stage left, with an impressive resume including
the 1996 British F3 title and numerous unconfirmed backers
seemingly including Ford of Ireland.

'He was very methodical and controlled in the car,' said one
BAR insider after Firman recently tested for the Brackley
team.

'He seemed very mature and together in his approach and had
obviously learned a lot from his time in Formula Nippon.'

Speculation also insists that Ralph is heavily backed by
British sponsor Benson & Hedges, the tobacco-firm concurrently
considering a return to the Jordan title sponsor role.

But while Jordan insiders are adamant that Firman is the man,
another Briton, Gary Paffett, is still in the frame to fill
the spare EJ13 racing suit.

Just 21-years-old and the reigning German Formula 3 champion,
Paffett demonstrated his potential with impressive track form
in the McLaren this winter.

'I am ready for Formula One, as a test driver or even as a
race driver,' Paffett told the media yesterday.

'Testing with McLaren has reinforced my confidence. Anybody
looking at my times will realise that I have been going
quickly.

'If I had the chance to race for a team this year, it would be
very difficult to turn down.'

Paffett's manager, Martin Hines, says all his young charge
needs is the requisite funds to join his British comrades on
the Grand Prix grid.

The BMW-Williams development and reserve driver explains that
his Grove bosses opted against the cost-cutting measure
because it is more honed to the needs of a privateer outfit.

'You can't carry out real development work during this time,
which is why we decided against it,' the 28-year-old Spaniard
said.

'But overall, it's a very good rule, because it aims to
increase the performance density between the small teams and
the top teams.'

The so-called Heathrow Agreement will see participating teams,
including grid stragglers Jordan and Minardi, trade in free
in-season testing for just ten days of track time.

Gene says: 'The smaller teams can only afford about ten test
days as it is. For them the extra hours present a good
opportunity to prepare themselves in terms of brakes, tires
and car set-up.'

But fourth-placed Formula One team Renault - by no means a
cash-strapped independent - have also signed up for the
initiative to allow two hours of additional Friday practice at
all sixteen GP events.

Marc Gene won over the hearts of the guests at the BMW
Motorsport Party in Kitzbuhel at the end of last year, by
proudly displaying his new-found talent to speak German.

Despite his 100 days of testing between January and November
last year, covering 17,426 kilometres, and his attendance at
most of the Grand Prix events, Marc found the time to learn
the language of his engine supplier BMW.

'I was absolutely delighted as well as surprised to receive
such applause for that', he admits with pride as he recalls
the standing ovation at the BMW party.

Observers note that Sir Frank Williams' operation is the only
big-three outfit opting to roll-out its sparkling new
contender on the Albert Park circuit in south-eastern
Australia.

The FW25 is shorter than its predecessor, and 'derives little
from previous cars,' according to team technical director
Patrick Head.

'The approach has relied less on iteration, and instead has
called for the generation of new ideas,' he added.

So, given that McLaren will race a developed version of the
older MP4-17 and Ferrari will give its pilots the F2002
championship car, does Williams feel a position of advantage
going into the new season?

The five times world champion, whose 2002 triumph encapsulated
eleven wins and the quickest ever title campaign, urges
ordinary road users to buckle up, use baby seats for small
children and secure any loose baggage.

'I love to drive,' Schumacher said in Corriere della Sera
newspaper.

'I love to battle wheel to wheel and try and be first to enter
into a turn, but these are things I do in a race.'

He added: 'Driving on a closed track is completely different
from driving on a normal street.'

Schumacher first became an outward advocate for road safety
when the governing FIA ordered him to head a publicity
campaign - for punting Jacques Villeneuve off the circuit in a
1997 season finale.

He continued in the Italian daily by urging cyclists to wear
helmets and motorists to obey speed limits.

Da Matta Fastest At Barcelona
Reigning CART champion Cristiano Da Matta topped the
timesheets for the first time in his new Formula One career on
Sunday, the Brazilian beating home a field of five.

The 29-year-old was the only Toyota driver in action as the
Cologne-based team kicked off another four-day test in Spain,
at the chilly but dry Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Da Matta was on duty at the wheel of the all-new TF103, and
set a best time of 1m17.182 over 57 laps of the 4.73 km track.

The GP rookie, who'll make his Formula One debut in Australia
in just five weeks, worked on mechanical and aerodynamic
set-up work.

'It is my third test at the Barcelona circuit with the team,
but actually my first here at the wheel of the TF103,' he
said.

'After this first day, I can already say that I am happy with
the way the car behaves on this track. I feel it is well
balanced, even more than on the Valencia circuit in the last
days.

'We managed quite a lot of laps and almost went through our
task list for today, despite a few breaks. It is a good
opening to our four-day test here since we have an extensive
technical program to cover.'

Jacques Villeneuve continued to embark on his longest
consecutive stint of Grand Prix testing in a seven-year career
by clocking up miles in his BAR005.

Going second fastest, the Canadian managed 39 laps but was
again hindered by a couple of niggling technical problems with
the new Honda V10.

His team-mate Jenson Button focused on a program of 54 laps to
go third fastest, less than a tenth slower than Villeneuve,
with the 005.

Meanwhile, BMW-Williams pilots Marc Gene and Ralf Schumacher
started development work with the newly-launched FW25,
bringing up the rear of the times.

Ralf And Marc Debut New FW25
Ralf Schumacher and dedicated development pilot Marc Gene were
charged with the duty of carrying out the first tests of the
all-new Williams FW25 on the weekend.

On the sunny - albeit chilly - and dry Circuit de Catalunya in
Spain, the pair built on the Friday shake-down of Juan Pablo
Montoya by clocking up more than a race distance for the
promising new BMW-charger.

Schumacher and Gene, although trailing the ultimate Sunday
pace at Barcelona set by Cristiano Da Matta's Toyota, were
able to match the fastest race lap of 2002, set by Michael
Schumacher, by more than a second.

In his 52 laps, Ralf performed a long stint of ten laps, while
Marc completed 85 laps and achieved the top speed of the day
with 293.69kph.

On Sunday, the Spaniard conducted long stints of 18 laps each,
his tally of 85 circuit tours more than any other competitor
in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, trackside observers noted that Williams used a
special cover for the new car, hiding rear wing and diffuser
from spying pitlane eyes at the Catalan facility.

Williams, based in Oxfordshire, will remain on track with the
new FW25 until Wednesday.

Australian-based Zimbabwean-born sculptor Mitch Mitchell has a
passion so burning for the 33-year-old champion that he is
currently working on a three-metre 'stat-schu' of him.

Mitchell hopes the eight-foot statue will be cast in bronze in
time for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, held at
Albert Park, on the second weekend in March.

The clay monument to German driving ace Schumacher - the
result of 16-hours of intensive daily work over a six-week
period - depicts him giving the famous victory salute after
another Grand Prix triumph.

Michael Schumacher will defend triple consecutive Australian
grands prix when he lands back in Victoria's capital in just
five weeks' time.

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